The deposit once paid is non-refundable. Failure to complete full payment of the course fees a month before the course starts may mean the applicant forfeits their place on the course and their deposit.
For all teacher training courses run by IH Bangkok and Chiang Mai:

More than 1 month before the course start date

• Cancellations are permitted but with a loss of deposit only and any related transfer costs

• Postponements are permitted without charge on one occasion.

• Any subsequent postponement after the first will incur a 100 USD administration fee. This fee will need to be paid in advance before any rebooking confirmation is made for a later course.

Less than 1 month before the course start date

• No cancellations can be made

• Postponements may only be permitted in the case of a severe medical condition to the trainee with written evidence from a hospital medical doctor stating the trainee will not be medically fit to follow the specific course and is subject to the following two conditions:
  • 1) If a replacement can be found and the booked course remains full then the trainee may postpone following the rules above for cases in which there is more than 1 month before the start date
  • 2) If a replacement cannot be found to make the trainee’s original course full, then the trainee may postpone 1 time but must wait for a course to have a remaining spot available in the last week before the start date of a given course. In these circumstances the trainee needs to understand that they cannot be guaranteed a place on a specific course date in advance. They will need to wait at least until 7 days or possibly less if bookings are unclear before the start date to receive an e-mail from IH Administration Team confirming availability on the specific course date or not. It may turn out that we may not be able to give a full 7 days for a particular course if we are waiting for final confirmations from other candidates for a particular course. If that means there is not enough time for a trainee candidate who has previously postponed at the last minute for medical reasons as above, then it needs to be accepted as a ‘no’ for that specific course and we will look for availability on the next course. In all cases, the trainee should wait for confirmation from the IH Administration Team before making any travel arrangements.

• Only 1 postponement less than 1 month before the course start is permissible.

• The above also applies to accommodation if we are arranging it for you. Please note that once you check in to the accommodation refunds are not available.

Please note that in time when trainees have had problems, these conditions have given a favourable solution to both parties in numerous cases without causing the trainee additional expenses.

It is understood when booking the course that candidates are signing up to attend 100% of the course. Any absences can negatively impact trainees’ success on the course. Our trainers will always support trainees in all ways that they can but it is the trainees’ responsibility to complete all parts of the course on time under the terms of the Cambridge Assessment English CELTA regulations. This means that in order to complete the course successfully everything must be done before the course end. Only in case of severe illness requiring ongoing hospitalization of the candidate, provided evidence is supplied by the doctor/hospital administration, can the centre apply to Cambridge Assessment English for a deferral/postponement.

Trainees are responsible for arranging their own visas in time for the course. An ED visa is not required as the Cambridge CELTA is a short course and ED visas are only applicable for full-time courses for more than 3 months in duration. 

Instead there are the following options:
A 30 day visa exemption on arrival is possible for some nationalities, which can be extended by another 30 days locally. For a list of nationalities entitled to the free 30-day visa, see The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
We, however, strongly recommend that you apply for a 60-day tourist visa before you leave, applying as a tourist, to cover you for the duration of the course and your stay in Thailand. The 60-day tourist visa costs the local equivalent of 1,900 baht and can also be extended locally by 30 days for a further 1,900 baht.

Post-course, anyone intending to work in Thailand will need to apply for a job and once successful supply the new employer with all the required documents so the employer can apply to the MoE for a letter allowing the teacher to apply for a non-immigrant B 3-month visa outside of Thailand – this is normally a 2-day trip to a nearby country but there may be exceptions during Covid pandemic times. This can then be extended to a year long non-immigrant B working visa and an application for a work permit is made upon return with the initial working visa.
If you are making the application within 21 days of the expiry date on a 60-day tourist visa, it may be possible that you will not have to leave the country to do this, but really in most situations you will have to make the journey as it takes time to process all the documents. You will need to have the original of your university degree, your transcripts (or in the case of British universities, any similar official record of what you actually studied), a criminal background check (CRB), and your actual CELTA certificate in order to make the application. All of these documents must have exactly the same names as in your passport.

It is highly recommended that you get comprehensive travel, repatriation, medical and course insurance to cover your period of international study and reclaim your costs in the case of difficult circumstances. International House Bangkok and International House Chiang Mai offer insurance through a partner company, Guard.me.